The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Thursday awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.

“The Center for Civil Liberties – awarded the 2022 #NobelPeacePrize – was founded for the purpose of advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. It has taken a stand to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and pressure the authorities to make Ukraine a full-fledged democracy,” the committee said. 

“After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the center has engaged in efforts to identify and document Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian population. The center is playing a pioneering role in holding guilty parties accountable for their crimes.”

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What is Center for Civil Liberties (CCL)?

Center for Civil Liberties is a Ukrainian human rights organisation. It was founded in Kyiv in 2007 with an aim to establish “human rights, democracy, and solidarity in Ukraine and the OSCE region for the affirmation of human dignity.”

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CCL’s values include –

1. Respect for human dignity

2. Freedom and human rights

3. Impartiality, Democracy

4. The rule of law

5. Non-discrimination 

6. Solidarity

CCL’s vision – 

According to the organisation’s website, its vision is to influence “the formation of public opinion and public policy, supporting the development of civic activism, and actively participating in international networks and solidarity actions to promote human rights in the OSCE region.”